Cool
by T. Riddle
Summary: It's been seven years to the day since she's seen him...and now he's back. Songfic, sequel to She Will Be Loved, hinted Ryro.


A/n: I'm finally back. This is my first X-men fic in _so_ long. Well, it's the 'sequel' to the songfic _She Will Be Loved_. I do reference incidients from it, so you can ready it for back story. This is a song-fic to the song _Cool_ by Gwen Stefani. I first heard this song in May during a concert, but it didn't click with me until end of June. This one took a while to write, and I'm proud of it. So, read and review.

Pairings: Hinted Ryro, BobbyRogue.

**Cool**

_It's hard to remember how it felt before_

_Now I found the love of my life_

_Passes things, get more comfortable_

_Everything is going right_

Rogue looked at the calendar on the kitchen wall, right next to the refrigerator. It was the seven year anniversary of _that _day. It was the anniversary of the day the X-men defeated Magneto. It was the anniversary of the day that Bobby Drake proposed to her and she accepted. There was one other thing that happened this day seven years ago. It was the last time she saw one of her old friends. It was the last time she saw John Allerdyce. He wasn't dead. He just disappeared. It was hard for him. He had joined the enemy and then he was defeated. He even fought with Bobby. John was powerful, but good always prevails over evil, and this was not an exception. He just disappeared. Bobby was just as sad as she was. She begged Xavier to find him, but Xavier declined. He said that if John wanted to talk to them, he would. They would just have to wait. They've been waiting for seven years. Well, Rogue had. Bobby gave up years ago, but he didn't know that Rogue was still waiting. In secret, she was still waiting. She had always cared about him. Bobby never knew, but she briefly had a relationship with him. She sometimes regretted it, but it was much needed. Although she had loved John, she knew that she could never be with him. Bobby was the right one, and always would be. They had been married for nearly seven years, and she's never been happier.

That first year, she thought about John a lot. She wished he could have been at the wedding. She missed him, as a friend, of course. There would be times when she would wake up and realize that she had dreamed about him and what they had. She remembered how after their relationship ended, he became so angry and so distant. He turned into a jerk, and then their friendship ended. She hated to lose him, but he was clear about his feelings. He didn't want anything to do with Rogue and Bobby. That's why he left and that's the reason he never came back. After the second year, she would still think about him, but not quite as often. Each year, she would think about him less and less, and then finally not at all. She hadn't thought about him for a long while, until today.

There were other things to think about. She looked down and put her hand on her stomach. She was three months pregnant with their first child. It was quite a miracle. Xavier helped Rogue to control her powers. She now only used them at when she needed to. She could be touched now. No one ever dared to do that before. John was the first one… And then Bobby. Bobby never had any fear about touching her, but she never knew, and that's why she chose John behind his back. Now, she was happily in love with Bobby, and she really couldn't be happier. Bobby Drake was the only one in her life, and she was now Marie Drake. They helped out Xavier once in a while, but since her pregnancy, they moved down south to start a new life together. That new life would include her child.

Today was a significant day for her. She would always remember it, even if Bobby forgot. It would be her day to celebrate love, resolution, and the memory of an old friend. In her life, everything was going right. She turned away from the calendar, and sat down in a chair in the kitchen. Bobby was at work today, and she was sitting at home alone. It was about eleven in the morning. She was reading a magazine, and then she heard the doorbell. She put the magazine down, and walked towards the front door. She opened it, and her jaw dropped. _Impossible._ Impossible as it was, standing in front of her was St. John Allerdyce.

_And after all the obstacles_

_It's good to see you now with someone else_

_And it's such a miracle that you and me are still good friends_

_After all that we've been through_

_I know we're cool_

_I know we're cool_

Rogue stared at her old friend. It couldn't be him. She recognized him instantly. He still had his handsome features, although they were much sharper. His hair was a little grown out, but it was still its rich auburn color. He stood there, face to face with her. He stared at her as she did at him. He was looking her over to make sure it was her. He wore a pair of worn out jeans, a t-shirt, and a familiar jacket. She instinctively looked down at his hand. His trademark lighter was absent from its place.

"John?" She asked, her voice barely audible. His blank expression turned into a grinning one.

"I was starting to think you didn't recognize me," John said. His voice was the same as she remembered. Rogue was still in disbelief, but it was really him.

"John!" She said, louder this time. She stepped forward and pulled him into a hug. He was taken aback, but patted her back as she hugged him. She released him after a long hug and continued to stare at him.

"So, am I welcome here or would I be better off leaving?" He asked. He was still the same old John. She smiled.

"You can come in," Rogue said, smiling wider than she had ever before. He turned around for some reason. Rogue moved and followed his gaze. In front of her home was a red convertible, and in the driver's seat was a young woman. John gave her a thumbs up. She returned it and drove off. Rogue stared, a little puzzled.

"Who was that?" Rogue asked. John turned around and faced her.

"My girlfriend," He said, simply and plainly. Rogue stared, kind of shocked. John walked into the house, sticking his hands in his pocket. Rogue followed, and closed her door. She watched as John looked around. His gaze went from room to room, and to furniture, and everything.

"Is Bobby here?" He asked, looking around.

"He's at work," She replied. She walked forward, and looked at him. "Please, come sit down in the kitchen."

Rogue led him to the kitchen. She pulled out a seat from the table and offered it to John. He sat down and continued to look around.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" She asked him.

"No, I'm good," He said. She nodded and sat down. "Uh, thanks for offering."

"Anything for an old friend," Rogue said. She found herself staring at John. He looked a tad bit uncomfortable, but looked directly at her.

"Uh…is there something on my face?" He asked, putting his hand to his face. Rogue forced a laugh.

"Oh, no. I just… it's so hard to believe that it's actually you," Rogue said. "You look the same, but it's so weird to believe that it's you… It's been seven years."

"I know. It has been too long," John said. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. It was one of those cheap fluorescent ones. She expected him to have that same Zippo lighter. _No, of course not. It's been seven years. He'd been insane to have the same one._

"You don't mind, do you?" He asked, referring to his cigarettes.

"No, go ahead," She said. She watched him as he lighted up, and started to smoke. "So, when did you start this?"

"Maybe about five years ago," He replied. The smell of the smoke quickly filled up the room. Rogue held back a cough. It probably wasn't good for her to be breathing it in her current state, but she wasn't going to be rude. They were silent for a few moments.

"Why did you come here, John?" Rogue asked, quietly and very seriously. He looked at her and sighed.

"I know, it's been seven years and not once have I tried to contact you or Bobby. It's been harder than you may realize. I've wanted to, but I needed time. You know what happened all those years ago… I needed to find myself, I suppose. Not a day has gone by and I haven't thought about you guys..." said John. At that moment, Rogue felt guilty. She used to think about his constantly, and she used to always dream about him. That ended a long while ago. Now, she only thought about her husband and her future child. John spoke again, suddenly. "So, you and Bobby have been married. How's that going for you?"

Rogue smiled. "Wonderful. We've been married for six years and six months." She put her hands on her stomach. "We're expecting."

John looked surprised, but not in a negative way. He stood up, walked over to the sink, and put out his cigarette. He threw it away, and sat back down.

"You should have told me about that bit beforehand," He said. He smiled a moment later. "That's great. I always knew you two would end up together and start a nice little family in a nice house in a nice neighborhood."

Rogue chuckled a bit. He sounded just like his old self, except he didn't have that sarcastic tone when he talked. He was perfectly serious.

"I'm happy for you," He said. "I really am."

"Well, that's a change, isn't it?" Rogue laughed as she asked him. John laughed.

"I suppose it is considering…" He stopped his sentence. They both looked at each other for a moment. "…that I was a jealous bastard."

He grinned at her and Rogue couldn't help but smile. "You can see how my life has been… how has yours been?"

"Rough, mostly," said John. "I've gotten through it all, though. I'm okay now, and that's why I came to see you."

"I see you got a girlfriend," Rogue said with a smile. She didn't believe she could smile and say that, yet she had come a long way. She might have felt jealousy. If she had, than she would have been a hypocrite. She was lucky enough to never see John with another after their brief time together. She was always with Bobby. John must have felt terrible, but he had obviously gotten over it.

"Yup," John replied, with a grin.

"Is it serious?"

"Yeah, it is," He replied, continuing to grin. "I know, surprising."

"No, it's good to see you now with someone else," Rogue said with a smile. John smiled back. He leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms.

"It's nice, you know," He said. "I'm glad it's not awkward. I thought it was going to be wicked awkward, but I was wrong. I'm glad I'm wrong."

Rogue laughed. "It is nice."

"I mean, years ago, I guess we put a crack in our friendship…" He said his voice trailing off. She knew exactly what he meant. She thought back to a time where she couldn't touch. She was with Bobby, but she needed something more. She needed a touch and John was there for her. He touched her and he wasn't afraid. Yet, she knew it was wrong, and she eventually realized it. Ever since then, their friendship had been very rocky and barely existent. John was thinking the same thing. "…but I'm glad we're still friends." He paused and looked at her. "We are still friends, right?"

She laughed. "Of course we are. We'll always be friends."

"And that is a miracle," John said, grinning. She reached out and took his hand with her hand. She looked afraid for a moment. She wasn't wearing any gloves, but nothing happened. He stared, and starting laughing. "Well, congratulations!"

_We used to think it was impossible_

_Now you call me by my new last name_

_Memories seem like so long ago_

_Time always kills the pain_

"To tell you the truth, I was sure you would have shut the door in my face when you saw me," John said. "It has been a long time."

"Yeah," Rogue said, looking at him.

"And…we kind of left off on a bad foot," He said. He looked at her. "Things weren't great between us. I think that's kind of why I came to visit you. I mean, I have wanted to see you and Bobby for a long time, but I wasn't ready for that. I didn't think you'd want to see me as well. I did a lot of bad things. I guess forgiveness would be kind of closure."

"Well, I'll have to admit, the time was needed. If you came to us a year later, I don't think I would have been so welcoming, but time has done a lot for me."

"It's done a lot for me, too."

They were silent for a few moments, obviously thinking about the past. Rogue realized it was so long ago that they were friends, and then they were together, and then they weren't friends. It would have been much more awkward if he came to see them earlier. Time really was necessary and it had done a lot for her. It was good. She forgot about John. She would remember how she felt about him at one point, and would never regret it, but she was happily married to Bobby. She knew she belonged with Bobby. John was never the one for her. He never could be. She enjoyed her time with him, but now she could never have feelings for him. She didn't feel for him at all. She loved Bobby Drake. John Allerdyce would always be her friend.

"So, you're Marie Drake now, right?" John asked. She looked at him and came out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, suppose so," She said, laughing.

"I kind of like the sound of it. Marie Drake. I don't think I'll ever call you Rogue, again," He said, laughing as well. And she didn't want him to. It would bring back too much. The more he said her name, and her new last name, the more she would be reminded of her love for Bobby. "So, Marie Drake—"

"Oh, enough about me. What's new in your life?" Rogue asked. He shrugged.

"Nothing much."

"That's not an answer. Come on. What do you do? How do you spend your days?"

"No, I'm still the same jerk. I still drive around and set things on fire," He said, jokingly. She smiled. "Okay, I just do random part-time jobs to get some cash. I might even settle down one day."

"Ooh, planning to settle down?"

"Yeah, I think about it sometimes," John said. "I really care about her. It's kind of strange. I didn't think I'd ever get over— but, er, yeah. I might do that one day. When I have a stable job and life."

"That would be really nice," Rogue said. John seemed happy to have her approval. He deserved it. He deserved to finally settle down and have a peaceful life. He had been through so much, especially all those years ago. He must have had a hard time after Magneto was defeated. He was never really meant to be a bad guy. He was certainly rebellious, but not that much. He had spent a good amount of time 'finding himself'. He hadn't been in peace with himself for a long time, and that's exactly what he needed.

Rogue found peace with Bobby, and she believed that John should have the same ordeal. He should be able to live happily ever after, too. She would be happy when John would finally be able to be peace, once and for all. She always knew that he loved her, yet she never felt all the feelings that he felt. She kind of used him in a way, and she hated that she did that. But now, she cared about him as a friend, and she wanted him to be happy. It took him a long time to get over her, and he deserved a happy life with his girlfriend.

_Remember Harbor Boulevard_

_The dreaming days where the mess was made_

_Look how all the kids have grown up_

_We have changed but we're still the same_

_After all that we've been through_

_I know we're cool_

_I know we're cool_

The two talked for a while more. They talked about everything, but John talked more. He wanted to know everything. He wasn't really keen on talking about himself. He said his life was boring compared to hers.

"Remember the time when…" John went on. Rogue closed her eyes and thought back to the time when she was with John.

_Rogue sat up awake. She was troubled. She kept thinking about Bobby. He didn't know anything. He didn't know that she was troubled. He thought that life was perfect. Only one person knew that she was having problems. John knew. John knew that she wasn't content with her life or Bobby. She wanted to touch him so badly, but she couldn't because she couldn't hurt him. He didn't seem to mind, but she knew it would never be right. He was the best boyfriend she had ever had, but she couldn't show him. She couldn't express her emotions._

_Rogue looked up. She looked at her door. She heard something from behind it. Was someone there? She stood up and walked over to it. She opened the door and found herself face to face with John Allerdyce._

_"Hello," She said to him, sounding slightly confused._

_"Hi," John mumbled, taken aback._

_"I heard some sounds," Rogue said to him. "I'm guessing that was you. What are you doing, anyway?"_

_"I was talking a walk," John said, clutching onto his lighter. "Didn't mean to bother you."_

_"Oh, no," She said. "Ah was already awake. Don't worry about it."_

_"Okay," John said. "Er…while I'm here, I should ask you how you're doing. You okay?"_

_"Yeah, Ah'm okay," She said. John stared. _

_"So, those doubts are gone then?" _

_"Well… not entirely," She admitted. She looked down at the floor and sighed to herself._

_"Are you okay, Marie?" John asked, concerned. She looked up at him._

_"Ah really don't know."_

_John just stared at her. She didn't know what was going through his head, but suddenly he moved closer to her. She didn't exactly know what to make of this, until he was just centimeters away from her face. He wanted to kiss her. The funny thing was that she didn't think of Bobby. She turned her head._

_"Don't," She said to him, her voice barely above a whisper. "Ah don't want tah hurt you."_

_John started to sigh, but instead smiled to himself. _

_"Rogue," He said to her, softly. "You're not going to hurt me."_

_She looked back at him._

_"I promise," He said, putting his hand to his heart. She stood there for a second, just looking at him. And then she nodded. He pulled her closer, careful not to touch any of her skin and he leaned in for that one kiss._

That's when it started. That's when she began her relationship with John. It was a relationship for all the wrong reasons. She knew that from the beginning. He knew that too. She was his best friend's girlfriend. That was the night the mess started. He fell in love with her, and although she loved him, she didn't feel the same way. She loved him as her friend. He had always been a good friend. She looked at him, and he was still talking.

"Well, I better get going," John said. He took out a cell phone and made a quick phone call. He looked at Rogue straight on. "You know, you're just like I remember you. You're still kind and caring. You're still Rogue."

She smiled. "I know we've both grown, but you'll always be Pyro to me…"

"It's amazing how different we are, but how we're really still the same people," John said. "If it's even possible, you've become an even better person."

"So have you, John. You were always a good person."

"Nah, not always."

"You were. You just made a couple of mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes," Rogue assured.

"Even Bobby?" He asked, jokingly. Rogue laughed.

"Even Bobby."

"Whoa," John said, laughing. There was suddenly a loud 'beep' from outside. John stood up. "That would be for me." Rogue stood up and followed him to the door. He opened it and the two stood out on her porch for a second.

"It was really good to see you," Rogue said. "I'm sorry Bobby wasn't here."

"That's okay. We should all have lunch together this weekend." He got out his cell phone and recorded Rogue's home number into it.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye," He said, looking at her. She gave a small smile and nodded. John turned around and walked off her front porch and towards the car. Rogue watched as he got in the car, and watched as it drove away. Rogue knew, even after all that they went through, they were still okay. They were cool.

_Yeah, I know we're cool_

A couple of hours later, Bobby came home. Rogue greeted him with a hug and a kiss. He smiled, took off his jacket and took off his shoes. He put his arm around Rogue, and the two started to walk toward the kitchen. Bobby put his hand on her stomach.

"How's Robert Jr.?" He asked, smiling. She gave him a look.

"Robert Jr.? I don't remember deciding that," She said as she smiled back. "Besides, what if it's a girl?"

"It's not a girl," Bobby said, grinning. "I can tell."

"Then, I like the name… John."

Bobby turned silent and stared at her for a few moments. The memories were coming back to him. She just smiled and went over to the kitchen sink. She turned on the faucet and started to wash the dishes. Bobby sat down at the kitchen table and stretched his arms out behind him.

"You'll never guess who came by the visit," Rogue called to him.

"An old friend?"

"Right, but you have to guess who," Rogue said, smiling. She had the sponge in her hand and started to scrub the dishes.

"The Prof?"

"Nope."

"Scott?"

"No."

"Ororo?"

"Nope."

"Er…Kurt?"

"Uh-uh."

"Piotr? Kitty? Jubilee? Logan?"

"Nope," Rogue replied with a huge smile on her face. She finished the last dish and turned off the water.

"Magneto?" Bobby guessed, having absolutely no idea.

"Close, but no," Rogue said as she wiped her hands on the dish cloth. She turned around and looked at Bobby, who was frowning. He was staring down at the table, thinking. Suddenly, his expression changed. His eyes turned big and he looked up at Rogue.

"John?" He said, surprised. She nodded and grinned. Bobby stared in disbelief.

"We're having lunch with him and his girlfriend on Saturday," Rogue said. Bobby's jaw dropped.

"Lunch? Girlfriend?"

Rogue simply laughed.

_And I'll be happy for you_

_If you can be happy for me_

_Circles and triangles_

_And now we're hanging out with your new girlfriend_

_So far from where we've been_

_I know we're cool_

_I know we're cool_

They arranged to meet at this small restaurant just outside the town for lunch. Bobby was pretty nervous about seeing his old best friend. He took longer than Rogue to get ready. He wanted to make a good impression. Bobby obviously felt guilty about having a great life. He felt guilty that John stopped crossing over his mind a long, long time ago. He wasn't sure what to expect. The last time he saw John wasn't exactly a picnic. John went to the bad side, and they actually fought. Fire and Ice. John was taunting him and telling him about how powerful he had become. Bobby was trying to convince that he was wrong and that he was on the wrong side. He tried to find the old John. It didn't work. John realized that himself when he suffered defeat. Not from Bobby, but from the X-men team. That was the last Bobby ever saw of John. He wondered if he would be different, but didn't speculate any of this aloud to Rogue.

Rogue had already talked with John, but she was excited to see him again. She was more interested in meeting his girlfriend. She didn't get a good view of her, but she drove a nice car. She was anxious, but at the same time, she was apprehensive. Would she like his girlfriend? Would she be _jealous_? Rogue was very, very fortunate to have never seen John with another girl. She didn't exactly know if she was the jealous type, and she didn't want to find out with this. She loved Bobby, not John. She would never love John the same way she loved Bobby. But that doesn't mean she wouldn't be…jealous.

_No, I won't be jealous. That's insane. I'm married. I'm Marie Drake. Not Rogue D'Ancanto. _

Bobby and Rogue left for the restaurant. The car ride was pretty silence. Rogue could feel how tense her husband was. He was apparently nervous. Even though it didn't show, she was just as nervous. Not because she would see John, no she had already done that. She was worried about her feelings. She assured herself that there was nothing to worry about, but even so, she couldn't help it.

The car ride ended too soon, and the couple had reached the restaurant. Bobby parked, and they left the car. They walked, slowly, to the restaurant and entered.

"Reservations for four. Under Allerdyce," Rogue said. Bobby was unusually very quiet, and he was slightly twitchy. They were taken to a table, and Rogue was quite surprised that Bobby was moving on his own. John and his girlfriend were already there. Bobby froze when his gaze landed upon John. He grabbed Rogue's arm, and whispered into her ear.

"I think I'm going to have a heart attack."

Needless to say, he didn't. They were left there by the waiter, or whoever. The four stared at each other. Rogue and Bobby looked pretty stupid just standing there in front of the table, but neither of them could move. Luckily, John's girlfriend didn't know them and didn't feel _that_ uncomfortable.

"Well, hello," She said, happily. Rogue and Bobby peeled their eyes away from John and looked at the girl. She was very pretty. She had long brown hair and pretty blue eyes. She looked young, probably in her early twenties. She was grinning at the two.

"Hi," Rogue said, quietly.

"You can sit down, if you want," She said, amused by how awkward everything was. Rogue and Bobby looked at each other before sitting down. Rogue took the seat that was close to John, figuring that Bobby wouldn't be able to handle it.

"So, Marie, Bobby," John said, sounding plenty nervous. "Nice to see you again…"

"Likewise," Rogue said, feeling more comfortable with John than Bobby was. Bobby just stared at John as if he were Magneto or someone similar to that.

"John," Bobby said, in a very different voice, sounding as if it were speaking a foreign language. "How have you been?"

"Good," John said, in practically the same way. "You?"

"Great, great," Bobby said. Rogue could see that it was way too awkward for them to be having a solo conversation.

"So, John, you must introduce us," Rogue said, hastily and loudly. John looked from Bobby to Rogue. He snapped out of his daze.

"Oh, yes, right," John said. He looked to his girlfriend. "Marie, Bobby, this is Allison."

"Ally," She corrected with a smile.

"Ally, this is Bobby and Marie."

"Nice to meet you."

"Pleasure."

"Right, same here."

It got quiet, but Ally spoke.

"So, you are the infamous Bobby and Rogue..." She said, studying the pair. "John told me a lot about you guys." She looked at John. "They really are the world's cutest couple. But you left out a lot emphasize when telling me that Bobby was good-looking."

Bobby looked really bewildered. He turned and looked at John.

"You think I'm good looking?" He asked, staring at the other boy.

"A whole world of _no_," John said, rolling his eyes. The rest of the group laughed. Rogue smiled. _Perhaps it won't be so bad._ The group ordered food, and conversation was starting to appear. Bobby was becoming more comfortable, and Rogue was quite glad for that. She learned a lot about Ally. She was a really cool girl, and Rogue was happy that John found someone. Rogue didn't feel the jealousy she thought she was going to. In fact, she was happy that she approved of Ally and happy that John was with someone suitable. She wondered what she would have felt if John was with someone she didn't approve of. Instead, she didn't wonder about that and paid more attention to the conversation.

It was really good to be sitting and talking like friends. The tensions left, and the atmosphere was very relaxed. Bobby was listening to Ally talk about John's habits, and Bobby would occasionally say something like 'Oh,yeah, he used to do that…' That's when Rogue looked over at John and caught his eye. She smiled at him, and he smiled back. Things were not how they used to be at all, but in fact, better. So what, she would never be with John even if a small part of her wanted it still, but the strange part was that she didn't care. She was happy with her life, and he was happy with his. She was happy that he was happy, and that was good enough for her. And when they shared eye contact, she knew that he felt the same way.

At last, the long lunch was finished. The group split the tab, and stood up. They walked out of the restaurant together, and stood outside.

"Well, it was really nice to meet you guys," Ally said, smiling. "We have to do this again."

"Definitely," Rogue said, smiling as well. "Well, John, I guess we'll see each other another day."

"Yeah," He said. He and Rogue hugged, very briefly, and the pulled away. John and Bobby looked at each other wondering _'handshake or hug?'_ Finally, John stuck out his hand and Bobby shook it.

"It was nice to see you again, John," Bobby said. "You haven't changed, a lot, but I swear, I think you got a little more mature."

"Just a little," John said. "See you, man. You, too, Rogue."

She smiled and nodded. The two couples went their separate ways. Bobby and Rogue walked to their car. Bobby unlocked the doors, and the two entered. As Bobby started the engine, he looked to Rogue and grinned.

"That was fun," He said, feeling and sounding much more relaxed than he previously had been. Rogue smiled and nodded. "Who knew? It's like the same John, before he went all evil, but he's totally different."

"Yeah."

"How'd you like Ally?" Bobby said.

"She's very nice."

"You know what?"

"What?"

"She reminds me a lot of _you_," Bobby said. Rogue stared at him for a few moments, as he started to put the car in 'Drive' and pulled out of the parking lot. A smile appeared on her face.

"Oh, is that so?"

_C-cool, I know we're cool_

_I know we're cool_


End file.
